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Home and Community Care - Policy Manual

Last updated on December 23, 2024

Publicly-subsidized home and community care services provide a range of health care and support services for eligible individuals who have acute, chronic, palliative or rehabilitative health care needs. These services are designed to complement and supplement, but not replace, your efforts to care for yourself with the assistance of your family, friends and community. Home and community care services can assist you on a short-term or long-term basis depending upon your needs.

The range of services includes community nursing, community rehabilitation and home support services, as well as adult day services, assisted living services and long-term care services, including short-stay services.

For policy related to the measurement of quality in long-term care services, please refer to the Long-Term Care Quality Framework Policy Directive (PDF, 248KB).

Home and Community Care Services are intended to:

  • Help you to remain independent and in your own home for as long as possible;
  • Provide care at home when you would otherwise require admission to hospital or would stay longer in hospital;
  • Provide assisted living and long-term care services if you can no longer be supported in your home; and
  • Support you and your family if you are nearing the end of your life, at home, in an assisted living residence or a long-term care home, which includes short-stay services such as hospice care.

Home and Community Care Policy Manual

Table of Contents (PDF, 74.9KB)

  1. Overview (PDF, 154KB)
  2. Client Access (PDF, 167KB)
  3. Performance Management (PDF, 95KB)
  4. Home Health Services (PDF, 339KB)
  5. Assisted Living services (PDF, 225.7KB)
  6. Long-Term Care Services (PDF, 557.4KB)
  7. Client Rates (PDF, 301KB)
  8. Group Home and Family Care Home Services (PDF, 114KB)
  9. Glossary (PDF, 244.2KB)

References (PDF, 160KB).

Home and Community Care Policy Manual Updates

This section documents recent changes made to the policies contained in the Home and Community Care Policy Manual.

Effective September 1, 2024 

Policy 6.M / 5.E, Visitors in Long-Term Care and Assisted Living – has been added to ensure that clients maintain their right to receive visitors while protecting all clients in long-term care homes and assisted living residences.

Policy 6.L, Use of Medications to Manage or Modify Behaviours – has been added to clarify requirements for the use of medications to manage or modify behaviours in long-term care. 

Policy 9, Glossary, has been updated to add definitions: “behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia”, “chemical restraint”, “emergency”, “restraint”; and to modify the definitions of “capable”, “capable client”, “incapable”, “incapable client” and “substitute”. 

Effective April 1, 2024

Policy 4.C, Choice in Supports for Independent Living (CSIL) - the minimum hourly rate for CSIL funds effective April 1, 2024 were updated to reflect the confirmed cost of living allowance of 1%.

Effective February 12, 2024

Policy 6.H, Resident and Family Councils – has been updated to align with legislative changes to the Residential Care Regulations.

Effective January 1, 2024

Policy 7, Client Rates – the monthly rates, and the per diem rate for short-stay services, are updated with 2024 amounts.

Effective August 10, 2023

Policy 2, Client Access, and references have been updated to reflect the current version of the Guidelines for Collaborative Service Delivery for Adults with Developmental Disability.

Effective July 25, 2023

Policy 4.C, Choice in Supports for Independent Living (CSIL) - the minimum hourly rates for CSIL funds were updated with the amounts for April 1, 2022, 2023, and 2024. 

Effective February 6, 2023

Policy 5, Housing and Health Services – has been updated to align with changes to Community Care and Assisted Living Act and the Assisted Living Regulation. And, it has been renamed Policy 5, Assisted Living Services.

5.C Group Home Services and 5.D Family Care Home Services have been moved to a new policy: Policy 8, Group Home Services and Family Care Home Services.

Policy 8, Glossary – has been renamed to Policy 9, Glossary.

Effective January 1, 2023

Policy 7, Client Rates – the monthly rates, and the per diem rate for short-stay services, are updated with 2023 amounts.

Effective March 2022

Policy 2, Client Access – has been updated to clarify home and community care supports for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Policy 8, Glossary – The terms “Added Care Funding”, “Developmental Disability” and “High Intensity Health Care Needs” have been defined. 

Effective January 1, 2022

Policy 7, Client Rates – the monthly rates, and the per diem rate for short-stay services, are updated with 2022 amounts.

Effective February 2021

Policy 4, Home Health Services – has been updated to clarify CSIL eligibility criteria.

Policy 4, Home Health Services –“master insurance program” changed to “Social Services Group Liability Plan”.

Policy 8, Glossary – The terms “High Physical Care Needs”, “Physical Disability”, and “Medically Stable” have been defined.

Effective January 1, 2021

Policy 7, Client Rates – the monthly rates, and the per diem rate for short-stay services, are updated with 2021 amounts.

Policy 7, Client Rates – “support and shelter allowance” changed to “support and/or shelter allowance”.

Policy 7, Client Rates – Information regarding fixed rates for clients with support and/or shelter allowance has been added to webpages for long-term care and family care homes.

Effective July 13, 2020

Policy 7, Client Rates – references to Canada Revenue Agency line numbers were updated to reflect current coding scheme, and “income tax return” was replaced by “notice of assessment or re-assessment”, where applicable, to accommodate amendments made to the Continuing Care Fees Regulation.

Concerns and Complaints

There are a number of ways to report and resolve concerns and complaints about home and community care services. For instructions and contact information, see: